Jason DeMarte: Tangential

angential is DeMarte's newest series of photographic assemblages that accentuate intricately composed flora and fauna, particularly birds, alongside seductive sweets and plastic detritus such as caps, cords, and bags. Through his distinctive artistic process utilizing a commercial studio approach, he meticulously constructs surreal allegories that reflect a post-dystopian landscape while retaining the echoes of a past marked by depravity. DeMarte's work engages with complex themes, such as truth, consumption, visual gluttony, and waste, while simultaneously playing upon humanity's unquenchable desire for beauty. The resulting images lure us in while conveying a sense of unease, highlighting how our addiction to consumption and disposability impact the natural world.To create the works in Tangential, DeMarte traveled to varying places, photographing his subjects in the studio and 'en plein air'. Continuing his artistic and thematic evolution, this series delves deeper into humanity's contradictory biases concerning the natural world. The greater dichotomy between serenity and discomfort in the new works mirrors our species' journey through modern times.